Contemporary, Fiction, New Adult

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

A book? About a mysterious bookstore with a millennial cast of characters? My response to finding out about was as follows: WHY DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK SOONER?!? And then I told my boss about it and made him buy it. Yep, I'm that kind of indie bookstore manager - I upsell to… Continue reading Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

History, Nonfiction

Empire of Blue Water by Stephan Talty

Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign This book is about pirates. I have been fascinated by pirates for a very long time. In conclusion, pirates. Read it. Just kidding - full review below! Synopsis The passion and violence of the age… Continue reading Empire of Blue Water by Stephan Talty

Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Killer Unicorns duology by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant & Ascendant Unicorns are a pretty hot topic these days so I figured it was time to honor someone who led the charge for unicorns before the train even left the station. Rampant Synopsis Forget everything you ever knew about unicornsโ€ฆ Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric motherโ€™s stories about killer unicorns. But… Continue reading Killer Unicorns duology by Diana Peterfreund

Biography, History, Nonfiction

The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich

I'm not a big post-it note person when it comes to reading, but just in the introduction to this book, I put 6 notes. The content is so unbelievable, it just can't be made up. Synopsis The Unwomanly Face of War is the long-awaited English translation of Svetlana Alexievich's first book, a groundbreaking oral history… Continue reading The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich

Book Club, Fantasy, Fiction

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life Back in January 2013 I was trying to find a new favorite book (which never works, you canโ€™t force it) and I had been eyeing A Discovery of Witches for a while and decided to take a chance on it. I read the first… Continue reading All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

Nonfiction, Travel

Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton

An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders Fun and eccentric travel book with lots of random and unknown places in it? Can I have a copy now please? These may or may not have been my exact words to my boss when this book first showed up at the store.ย  Synopsis It's time to… Continue reading Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton

Biography, History, Nonfiction

First Women by Kate Andersen Brower

The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies I've always loved biographies of the royals and, as an #ImWithHer girl, when I realized thatย First Women existed, I figured it would be one that I should take a look at. Synopsis One of the most underestimated - and demanding - positions in the world, the… Continue reading First Women by Kate Andersen Brower

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grades

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

More Harry Potter? Why yes please, of course! Synopsis Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander's classic compendium of magical creatures, has delighted generations of wizarding readers. Now, in this updated edition with a new foreword by Newt himself and unveiling of six beasts little known outside the American wizarding community, Muggles too… Continue reading Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

Fiction, Historical

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Laura: I found this book on my momโ€™s shelves and when she noticed that I had picked it up she told me I should absolutely read it. It is one of the few non-mystery type fiction books she has read in the past 10 years, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Knowing my love of all… Continue reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Essays, Nonfiction, Sociology

The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley

In my continuing quest to find the perfect audiobook, I decided to take a chance on a book I know I have an ARC for around my apartment somewhere... And I'd been meaning to read it for ages but then lost it. So the audiobook, perfect solution!... for the most part. Synopsis The Geek Feminist… Continue reading The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley